GRIEFBOT

Perhaps griefbots should be considered therapeutics that are subject to approval by the Food and Drug Administration and prescribed by a mental health professional.

“I was hesitant to try the whole voice cloning process, worried that it was crossing some kind of moral line, but after thinking about it more, I realized that as long as I treat it for what it is, [it is] a way to preserve his memory in a unique way,” he told CNN.

He shared a few messages with his sister and mother.

“It was absolutely astonishing ... See more

This is the wrong way to view chatbots of the dead. Instead, the potential of these technologies would be better understood if they were thought of more like artworks – or, rather, like theatrical performances. Engaging with a chatbot is a lot like attending a participatory theatre performance. In these performances, audience members play active ro... See more

This shift from chatbotsas companions to tools of artistic remembrance deflates many common concerns. From this vantage point, we can see that chatbot ‘actors’ do not necessarily aim at realism. They cannot and will not capture a deceased person fully. They do not delude users into behaving as if the dead are still alive or believing that they are ... See more

The assumption that a chatbot delivers – or seeks to deliver – an authoritative replication of a deceased person makes as much sense as the assumption that an actor’s portrayal of a historical figure in a drama represents the sole faithful depiction of that figure.

However, despite myriad literature examining the use of digital technology to support the grieving process, most work is based on grief theories which overlook or downplay the importance of the enduring relationship with the deceased post death as a means to coping with grief, as many interventions based on these theories tend to focus on the berea... See more

As anyone who has used LLM-driven chatbots knows, it’s easy to feel like there’s a real person on the other side of the screen. During the emotional upheaval of losing a loved one, indulging this fantasy could be especially problematic. That’s why simulations must make clear that they’re not a person, Xygkou said.